Sandara Park has always been a Pinoy at heart. Wherever she goes, she embodies the characteristics known to Filipinos—fun, outgoing, and hospitable. Even years after her breakthrough as a K-pop idol, she never forgets to go back to the Philippines and be with the people.
Interestingly, a lot of the time, Dara brings someone along with her to the Philippines. Case in point: Her recent guest in the Philippines is her good friend Jung Il Woo! In case you didn't know, Il Woo starred in some of the OG Korean dramas like Flower Boy Ramen Shop, Moon Embracing The Sun, and Cinderella And Four Knights.
On Tuesday, June 4, the South Korean actor shared snaps of his trip to the Philippines with Dara in Bohol. Il Woo mentioned in his Instagram post that it was his first time to visit the country. "It's my first time in the Philippines, I'm so excited," he captioned.
In a separate post, he even shared photos of him enjoying a specific part of their tour — the firefly watching in Bohol. His post read, "Watch the stars (with firefly)" and it included photos and videos of fireflies at night! Fans also commented on his IG post and remarked how happy they were that he was enjoying his time in the Philippines.
Dara and Il Woo's Bohol trip appears to be one of the upcoming episodes of the K-pop idol's YouTube series called "DARATOUR."
Some clips were also uploaded online, where a welcome performance was prepared for Il Woo and Dara, as soon as they arrived in Bohol. They were both clearly enjoying the atmosphere!
About Sandara Park and Jung Il Woo's friendship
Dara and Il Woo are longtime friends, and they once worked together on the 2009 show The Return of Iljimae. The two have shared many precious moments together, and they would often meet up for meals. It's one of the best friendships to witness in the Korean entertainment industry!
This is not the first time that Dara introduced the Filipino culture to Il Woo. In 2021, Dara and Il Woo had a cooking session, which was uploaded via Il Woo's official YouTube channel. The two prepared some iconic Filipino dishes, namely beef caldereta, seafood sinigang, and garlic rice or "sinangag" in Tagalog.
During the vlog, the two revealed that they became close after Dara offered Il Woo some gochugang while they were filming together in Japan. They've kept in touch through the years, but in the same vlog, Il Woo and Dara agreed that their connection will stay platonic!
"I realized something today. Our concept today, it’s like we’re on a date. Then, there should be those tingling feelings. But I feel none of those! So I thought, we’re really good friends," Il Woo joked during the vlog, to which Dara agreed: "If we’re going to be more than friends, that should’ve already happened a long time ago!"
LOOK: All the Korean Celebrities Sandara Park Brought to the Philippines
Dara is not just a K-pop idol; she's also a great promoter of Filipino culture. One of the reasons why Dara remains so loved by the world (and by the Filipino nation) is her heart and her connection to the people, anywhere she goes.
Dara brings Minzy to Philippines
In the pilot episode of her YouTube series "DARATOUR," Dara brought South Korean idol Minzy to the Philippines, who is the youngest member of their girl group 2NE1. During the vlog, they went around some popular destinations near the metro. They explored Pagsanjan Falls and enjoyed the scenery.
In the last part of Minzy's guest appearance in Dara's series, they visited Dara's former school in Pasay City and even met her former adviser. It was such a heartwarming episode!
Dara brings Kang Seung Hyun to the Philippines
In an episode of Battle Trip uploaded in 2017 by KBS WORLD TV YouTube channel, Dara brought her friend Kang Seung Hyun to the Philippines and they had fun exploring Metro Manila, Laguna, and Coron. They even did some snorkeling in Palawan, which looked so fun! Seung Hyun is a South Korean model and is one of Dara's closest friends.
Aside from bringing Korean celebrities to the country, Dara has always been vocal about her love for the Philippines. Netizens even think that she deserves to be called a Filipino ambassador! Whether it's posting on social media about her love for Filipino beer, or posing in front of her Filipino billboards, Dara does it all with so much sincerity and humility. We love you, Dara!
* This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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